The NDPS court has served notices to all the arrested accused in the Mephedrone (MD) racket, asking their opinion on the crime branch’s plea for fresh testing of the consignment seized from constable Dharmaraj Kalokhe’s cupboard.

The NDPS court has served notices to all the arrested accused in the Mephedrone (MD) racket, asking their opinion on the crime branch’s plea for fresh testing of the consignment seized from constable Dharmaraj Kalokhe’s cupboard.

The crime branch has asked the court’s permission to collect fresh samples of the consignment and send them for testing to the Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory (CFSL) in Hyderabad. It also wants to check Kalokhe’s cupboard again, for possible traces of MD.

The step comes after the state forensic laboratory report on the seized consignment came negative, identifying it as sodium glutamate.

Those who have received the court’s notice include drug peddler Shashikala Patankar, Kalokhe, senior inspector of the anti-narcotics cell (ANC) Suhas Gokhale, suspended inspector Gautam Gaikwad from the Nashik rural police, sub-inspector Sudhakar Sarang of the Mumbai ANC, head constable Yeshwant Parate from the special branch and crime branch assistant sub-inspector Jyotiram Mane.

“Going by the procedure, the court has asked for the accused’s say on the permissions that we have sought. If they object to our requests, the court will take the final decision,” said a crime branch officer.

The crime branch is also waiting for the court’s permission to question Kalokhe, who is in Kolhapur prison.